Helium Arts, Westmeath

Helium Arts is a Westmeath-based organisation that empowers young people with lifelong health conditions through creativity and the arts. Its powerful ethos — ‘We can’t cure illness, but we can reduce the impact’ — deeply moved the judges who could see the real and genuine effect its work is having on young people in Ireland.

Helium Arts gives young people facing serious illness a sense of connection and belonging, while stoking their imagination and sparking joy. It does this by providing cultural opportunities to them right in the heart of their own communities across Ireland.

Founded in 2010, it has since impacted more than 10,000 children’s lives. Its professional artists support creative access for children and their families attending Outpatient Paediatric Department clinics in Limerick, Cork, Galway, Mayo, and Dublin. Alongside this work in hospitals, it also runs creative workshops across the country.

With the support of National Lottery Good Causes funding in 2023, Helium Arts achieved its goal of supporting 3,000 children with lifelong physical health conditions by expanding its work in hospitals and the communities.

Helium Arts is making a real meaningful difference to children’s emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life. An independent evaluation, carried out in 2023, found 100% of parents reported an improved quality of life for their child after engaging with Helium Arts, with 84% reporting an improvement in their child’s physical health and wellbeing. By 2027, it aims to double its impact in Ireland and reach 6,000 children with lifelong physical health conditions per year. This organisation is having a truly transformative impact on young people’s lives.

This incredible work is grounded in creativity and compassion, and we are delighted that Helium Arts is our 2024 Arts & Culture category winner.